


The Soundtrack of Our Lives

by dapperyklutz



Series: The Playlist 'Verse [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: A lot of music, Avengers Family, Canon Divergence - Post-Avengers (2012), Domestic Avengers, Falling In Love, Gen, Idiots in Love, M/M, Non-Linear Narrative, One Shot Collection, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Steve Rogers, Pre-Slash, Steve Feels, Steve Rogers Feels, Steve Rogers-centric, Steve makes Tony a playlist, Team Bonding, Team Dynamics, Team as Family, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Untitled Playlist 'Verse, pop culture references
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-12
Updated: 2019-10-18
Packaged: 2020-01-12 09:52:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18444140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dapperyklutz/pseuds/dapperyklutz
Summary: Or the one where Steve Rogers falls in love and accumulates four years' worth of music in regards to one Anthony Edward Stark.Featuring 212 songs and counting, each chapter shows a glimpse into the key memories and moments that Steve has shared with Tony over the years. From teammates to friends, and eventually to something more.(The unofficial prequel toUntitled Playlist Number 5)





	1. The One With The Milkshakes

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't sleep, hence the creation of a new series. This time, in Steve's POV! The title's just a working title for now. It's 3AM, so hopefully I'll probably come up with something better in the morning.
> 
> You don't need to read _Untitled Playlist Number 5_ , but I recommend that you do as it'll help give you context on what's to come for these collection of one-shots.
> 
> To listen to the playlist itself, click the link below:
> 
> [05.29.74 Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6anlZXa8KqZPXc10YOknUP) (WIP)
> 
> (UPDATE: 25/05/19 - To avoid confusion in succeeding chapters, due to the behemoth of a playlist I created, I've chosen to take the non-linear narrative path instead.)

**Year: 2016**

“Steve?” Tony’s voice echoes in the silence of the communal living room. “Why are you still up?”

Steve looks up from the book he’s been trying to read for the past half hour. He saw it lying on the coffee table and decided to check it out, to see if it’ll help him fall asleep. One glance at the large round clock hanging on the wall to his left shows it’s gone past one in the morning.

Looks like it’ll be one of those nights, the super soldier thinks to himself.

“Steve?”

Shaking himself from his stupor, Steve closes the book and meets Tony’s tired eyes with a tired smile of his own.

“Hey, Tony,” he says. “I couldn’t sleep, so I tried reading this book on, uh, beekeeping. Just to see if it’ll help me fall asleep.”

“Tough luck there, soldier.”

Tony smirks at him and flops gracelessly on the vacant spot beside him on the couch with a satisfied groan. Steve swallows inconspicuously, distracting himself from doing something drastic like _take Tony in his arms_ by closing the book and returning it to where he found it on the coffee table in front of him.

“What’re you doing still up, then?” Steve asks, trying to find his footing in the conversation. “I thought you crashed hours ago.”

Tony nods as he covers his yawn behind his hand before replying, “I did. But then I, uh, well— you know. I woke up and I couldn’t fall asleep again.”

Oh. He had a nightmare, then.

Steve smiles sympathetically at the engineer, his heart thumping against his ribcage when Tony smiles back at him with sleep-soft eyes. More often than not, Steve finds himself aching with the need to _do something_ to Tony. Not of the sexual or perverse nature, obviously! But just… something, _anything_ , that would physically connect Steve to the gorgeous man beside him. His fingers itch with the need to run his hands through Tony’s bedhead, or wrap an arm around his shoulders until the shorter man is pressed flushed against his side with his face tucked into the crook of Steve’s neck.

There are brief moments when Steve is consumed with his love for Tony, and sometimes he doesn’t know how _not_ to love the genius, flaws and all.

“Sorry to hear that,” Steve hears himself say. He clears his throat and adds, albeit sheepishly, “Anything I can do to help?”

Tony shakes his head with another smile, and they descend into a peaceful silence.

Steve does his best not to stare at Tony’s profile, so he forces himself to stare at the New York skyline before them, the glass-to-ceiling windows serving its purpose of giving them a magnificent view.

The silence lasts all of twenty seconds before the blond man hears Tony speak up.

“Actually, I’m hungry,” Tony announces. Steve turns his head to look at him, eyebrows raised. With a small smirk, the engineer continues, “I”m craving pie. And a milkshake.”

“That’s… oddly specific,” Steve replies, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.  
Tony snorts, and in a split second he gets up from the couch. Steve blinks in surprise, and blinks a second time when Tony offers his hand to the super soldier.

“Tony?”

“Steve,” Tony answers patiently. With another raised brow, Steve smothers a laugh when the engineer sighs dramatically and wiggles his outstretched fingers to him. “There’s a diner a few blocks from here. Let’s go.”

“What— now?”

“Yes, now! C’mon!”

“It’s the middle of the night, Tony. I doubt that it’s still open —”

“Duh, it is. It’s open ‘till 3.”

“How are you sure?”

“I’m a genius, remember?”

“… How is that even related?”

“Steeeeeve!” Tony whines, and Steve snorts at the childish pout on his face. It should be a crime to look that adorable, damn it. “Alright, fine. I know the owner and I may or may not have been there a couple of times around this time.”

“See? Was that so hard?” Oh, he’s having so much fun teasing Tony. It’s made sweeter because it’s just the two of them.

_Ah, Steve. Don’t go there._

“Yeah, yeah. So? Come with me and satiate my craving with me?”

_Oh, Jesus Mary Joseph._

Steve feels his throat dry at the double meaning of Tony’s words. He looks at Tony, then at his outstretched hand, then at the New York skyline, and finally back to Tony’s expectant face. Swallowing past the tightness in his throat ( _calm down, Rogers, just breathe for God’s sake_ ), Steve licks his lips and offers Tony a lopsided smile.

“Yeah, sure, I’d love to,” he finally answers before accepting Tony’s offered hand.

It’s probably in his imagination that Tony squeezes his hand, and Steve probably shouldn’t think too much if it takes another three seconds before they let each other go, even as they walk in closer than normal proximity towards the waiting elevator.

* * *

One hour later and Tony’s cravings finally satisfied, Steve finds himself completely relaxed and full. They did nothing but talk about the latest films they watched during Movie Night, and recalling the shenanigans that ensued at last week’s Game Night.

“I still can’t believe that Bruce Hulked out at Avalon,” Tony comments with a chuckle. He’s swirling his straw around the contents of his second chocolate milkshake, arms resting on the table as he sips his drink. He chuckles once more and then says, “I’ve never seen Wanda look so horrified at getting a front view of Hulk Jr.”

Steve snorts into his Oreo milkshake, and Tony erupts into laughter when milkshake trails from the super soldier’s nostrils. Once Steve has wiped his nose and mouth clean with the napkin Tony handed him, he glares at his companion, which didn’t have any effect as Tony only laughs harder. It doesn’t take long for Steve’s glare to melt in exchange for an exasperated sigh, lips twitching in amusement as his chest swells with affection for the other man.

“I seriously didn’t need a mental image of Hulk’s nether regions,” Steve slightly reprimands Tony, but he knows he looks mischievous because Tony’s laughter soon subsides to chuckles.

Gosh, a Happy Tony is such a beautiful sight to see, Steve thinks with a lopsided smile.

“Ah, Steve, that was epic,” Tony says with a chuckle, bright brown eyes twinkling against the fluorescent lights of the diner.

From the corner of his eye, Steve notices the owner — a Ms. Norma Fletcher, a kind woman who’s seventy-three years young — looking at them with a fond smile. Steve catches Norma’s eye, who winks at him and gives Steve a _knowing_ look before she carries on with her own business.

“You really need to get your timing right, Tony,” Steve says with an eye roll as he takes another sip of his milkshake.

Tony snorts, and he’s smirking at Steve as he replies, “What makes you think I didn’t time that perfectly, Rogers?”

“I think it was a mistake allowing you to drink milkshake in the middle of the night.”

“I’m a grown-ass adult. I can do whatever the hell I want, especially when it comes to drinking milkshakes at half past two in the morning.”

“You do know that just made you sound childish, right?”

“I prefer the term ‘child at heart’, thanks.”

Silence reigns between them, save for the slurping sounds of the pair drinking their milkshakes. And no, it does not become a contest on who can finish their drink first.

Nope.

(Tony wins, but only because Steve’s throat is tight with emotion seeing as he was too busy imprinting this very moment to memory.)

* * *

The night is warm but not humid, the sound of vehicles audible yet hushed in a way that only the middle of the night brings. Steve and Tony are walking along the quiet streets of New York, halfway back to the Tower, when they hear it.

“Who the hell is blasting music that loud at this hour?” Tony reacts incredulously.

Steve listens to the music some more before he answers, “Someone who’s going through a break-up?”

Tony looks at him in surprise. “That’s oddly specific. But then again, you got super hearing. So what’s the song? I can’t hear the lyrics.”

They continue to walk as Steve listens for the lyrics. Once he hears it, he can’t help the faint flush that creeps up his neck. Thank God for crappy street lights because then Tony won’t be able to see it.

_I belong to you_  
_You belong to me_  
_You’re my sweetheart_

“Steve?”

Steve blinks, and he glances at Tony to see the genius looking at him with a curious look.

“Ah, sorry, I got carried away,” he explains sheepishly, grinning when Tony rolls his eyes and bumps his shoulder. “Anyway, I don’t recognize it, but I keep hearing ‘ho’ and ‘hey’ repeatedly.”

He’s not surprised when he sees recognition spark in Tony’s eyes.

“Oh! Yeah, that’s the song,” the engineer agrees with a nod. “It’s called ‘Ho Hey’. I forgot the name of the band, though.”

“That’s alright,” Steve says soothingly. It’s alright, to be honest, ‘cos he already memorized a few lines while he was listening in. After a beat, he adds, “It’s a nice song.”

“Yeah,” Tony utters as he fights back a yawn. “Yeah, it’s perfect.”

Steve’s brows crease in mild confusion. “What’s perfect?”

This time, Tony doesn’t fight back the yawn, so the super soldier has to wait several seconds before he can get a response.

“The song, it’s perfect,” Tony answers. He casts a glance a Steve, but Steve’s already looking at him so he doesn’t miss the bashful expression on the engineer’s face when he says, “For this kind of night. So fucking cliché, too. Middle of the night, walking along the filthy but quiet streets of the city that never sleeps after consuming an unhealthy amount of sugar at the local diner.”

Steve can picture it perfectly in his mind’s eye. And it’s an image he finds himself itching to sketch.

To hide his thoughts, Steve forces out a chuckle. “I see your point. Not your cup of tea — or coffee, should I say?” At Tony’s snort at the terrible joke, Steve’s laugh is more genuine, and his next words come out more sincere than he expected. “This one’s made for the movies.”

Tony doesn’t say anything, in fact he’s quiet. And Steve’s starting to second-guess himself, that maybe he shouldn’t have said something horribly cliché and, and _saccharine_ because God knows how much Tony detests those kind of statements. Gives the engineer the hives and all that.

“Hmm pretty much,” Tony utters instead, and Steve almost exhales in relief. “A coming-of-age movie, filled with late night road trips and perfect sunrises featuring a feel-good soundtrack. Basically the kind of movie that Clint hates but deep down it makes him curl up into a ball and cry like a baby.”

The spell broken once more, Steve snickers at the mental image of their resident archer.

“I swear, I’m never gonna let you drink milkshakes at two in the morning,” Steve promises with a shake of his head. Then, seeing Tony’s pout for the second time that night, Steve purses his lips to refrain from laughing. “No, I’m serious. Your imagination knows no bounds in the dead of the night.”

“I’m a free bitch, baby!”

This time, Steve’s unable to hold back his laughter. Tony face lights up, eyes crinkling in the corners.

“You’re not making sense!”

* * *

Later, when Steve’s tucked in bed, and long after he’s added a new song to Tony’s playlist, he’s on the verge of sleep when his phone lights up with a notification.

With a groan, he grabs the device from the bedside table to see what it is, only to blink in surprise at the text message.

**Tony**  
_Cliché as it sounds, it kinda was made for the movies. Thanks for tonight, Winghead. G’night._

There’s no doubt that he’s grinning like a lovesick fool this time, so Steve types a quick response and sends it before shutting his phone and finally settling in for a good night’s sleep.

It takes less than a minute before he’s off to dreamland.

* * *

**Steve**  
 _Nothing wrong with a lil’ bit of cliché in our lives. Makes life sweeter that way. Good night, Shellhead. :)_


	2. The One With The Original Avengers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Tony and Nat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a month since Avengers: Endgame. I still find myself grieving these characters, hence why I've been binge reading a lot of fanfic lately and spent less time writing. That ought to change. This chapter is dedicated to the Original Avengers, especially to Tony and Nat.
> 
> Thank you for 11 years of lessons and memories, both good and bad.
> 
> Enjoy reading this chapter. It's quite self-indulgent.

**Year: 2013**

It’s been over a year since the Chitauri invasion, and Steve finds himself adjusting well into the 21st century. Of course, it’s all thanks to his teammates — the Avengers.

 _His family_ , a voice whispers from the back of his mind and Steve is quick to banish that thought away, despite the pang of longing that strikes him every time. It’s probably too soon to consider them like family, even if it’s in the privacy of his own head.

But upon waking up from the ice 70 years later and being made aware of the harsh reality that every single person he ever knew or cared about were either dead or dying, Steve can take comfort in the fact that living with five other people who he can count on to have his back whenever they’re called to assemble to fight the good fight would do that to you.

Steve has found himself part of a dysfunctional team who, despite their differences and shortcomings, somehow complement one another. They fill in each other’s gaps, all six of them. It’s certainly not like how it was with the Howling Commandos, no, but Steve still believes that the bond the Avengers formed following the failed alien invasion is just as special.

Clint has an annoying habit of camping out in the vents, but the archer also happens to be the tidiest among them.

Natasha, who at first was stoic and guarded around them at first, turns out to be quite affectionate once she’s lowered her walls around them.

Bruce, who turns into a green rage monster when pissed, is probably the most level-headed person Steve’s ever met, and despite the scientist’s way of holing himself up in his laboratory for several hours a day, it turns out that he’s a surprisingly good cook.

With Thor, Steve described him at first as a child trapped in an adult man’s body. But lo and behold, the Asgardian turns out to offer more wisdom and insight to the team as much as he consumes pop tarts on a daily basis.

As for Tony, the genius billionaire has an unhealthy tradition of consuming at least three cups of coffee every morning, not taking into account his appalling lack of sleeping and eating habits. Over the months since they were invited to live in the Tower by the man himself, Steve’s surprised to find out that Tony is one of the kindest, most generous people he’s ever come across.

So yeah.

Some days, he thinks this is a gift that the universe has bestowed upon him. He’s not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, after all.

* * *

They’re all in the communal floor one night after spending most of the afternoon thwarting off another alien invasion. JARVIS had ordered them dinner while they showered off the filth and grime from the afternoon’s battle, so when Steve arrives last he’s greeted with the sight of his team sitting around the coffee table in the living room. Boxes and cartons of takeout is scattered around them, an entire box of pizza already empty by Thor’s side.

“About damn time you got here,” Tony calls out, waving his chopsticks in the air in greeting. Steve smiles when the engineer adds, “C’mon, Spangles, I saved you the last box of orange chicken.”

“My hero,” Steve deadpans before he plops down on the space left between Tony and Clint. Tony just rolls his eyes, but there’s amusement dancing in his whiskey-colored gaze. Clint, on the other hand, conspicuously eyes said box of orange chicken. He nudges the archer’s shoulder, and when Clint meets his gaze innocently, Steve levels him with a look of his own. “Don’t even think about it.”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about, Rogers,” Clint quips back as he takes a huge bite of his slice of pepperoni pizza.

“Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night, Barton.”

There’s a snort in front of him, and Steve turns to see Natasha staring at them with fond exasperation. Beside her, Bruce and Tony share a long look that has the former stifling a laugh and the genius to waggle his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

A year ago, the redheaded assassin hadn’t felt comfortable enough to let down her guard around the them, excluding Clint since they’ve known each other before the Initiative. Now, though, after everything they’ve been through — the battles they fought, the close calls every single one of them encountered — Steve thinks it was all worth it to see them come this far.

While all this is happening, Thor is opening his third box of pizza, unaware of the silent conversations taking place around the Norse god.

Steve looks around his team, his _friends_ , and he doesn’t fight off the smile that spreads across his face. He knows he won’t give this all up without a fight.

* * *

The breaks between missions aren’t as scarce as Steve initially thought it would be. They could go weeks without hearing the blaring alarm to assemble, which made the super soldier restless at first. It took him several months and accepting an invitation to join Bruce in his daily routine of doing yoga at the crack of dawn to finally allow himself to relax the stiffness in his muscles. Albeit not much, but it’s progress and Steve still counts it as a win. 

He occupies himself with catching up to decades’ worth of information he’s missed since he was in the ice. It’s slow going, but the support Steve has received from his team in terms of helping him acclimatize to the new century has proved invaluable.

Well, if he’s being honest, it’s mostly thanks to Tony and his AI JARVIS, really. He considers it a miracle that he hasn’t mentally collapsed from information overload. Sure, he’s been defrosted for nearly two years now, and sure, he’s got the serum running through his veins that’s helped enhanced _everything_ about him. But he’s still only human, for the most part.

He’s coping, he’s adapting. He’s adjusting, and with each passing day Steve starts to feel less lost and more… well, not _found_ , he’s not that much of a cliché, no. He can’t put a name to this feeling, not yet anyway, but it’s nice. Pleasant. Comforting, even.

* * *

It isn’t until Clint lends Steve his iPod to listen to some tunes the archer has recommended him that his perspective shifts.

The three hours that he spends listening to music in the privacy of his suite is the most peaceful Steve has felt since he woke up. Not even yoga with Bruce or a fifteen-mile run could help silence the constant humming in his head.

It takes less than a day for him to buy his own iPod.

* * *

It’s the evening of the aftermath of another successful battle that Steve finds himself and the rest of the Avengers lounging in the living room. 

Empty cartons of take-out from their favorite Chinese and Indian restaurants lay haphazardly on the coffee table as well as empty bottles of beer and sodas. They’ve elected to forego watching a movie in exchange for a lazy night spent talking instead.

Thor spent more than an hour regaling them with tales of the battles he fought in Asgard along with Sif and The Warriors Three. His storytelling only came to an end when he started to shamelessly recount what transpired _after_ victory feasts. Steve agrees with Bruce that nobody needs to know _that_ much information about an Asgardian’s stamina in bed.

There was a lull in their conversation, albeit a comfortable one, only to be broken by Tony who requested JARVIS to “drop his needle”. It isn’t until Steve hears the familiar riffs of a song the genius frequently listens to in his workshop that he understands what he meant by that phrase.

From there, the others take turns requesting the AI to play songs as they seized the opportunity to educate both Steve and Thor on the evolution of music. What’s surprising is that in doing so, Steve learns more about his team.

Clint’s fond of the Top 40s and alternative rock. Natasha, on the contrary, is more fond of classical music (Steve later learns that she lets off some steam by dancing ballet to Tchaikovsky whenever her nightmares keep her from sleeping), but also admits she’s fond of music from the 60s. Bruce, surprisingly, shares almost the same musical tastes as Tony, but because of the Hulk he was forced to listen to other genres of music like the relaxing kind in order to keep his blood pressure in check. Sure, he’s got more of a hold on of the Big Guy now, but he doesn’t want to risk hulking out when he’s in the middle of listening to The Beastie Boys or Guns ’N Roses.

In fact, the next song the physicist requested JARVIS to play ends up breaking the impromptu lesson when Steve sees Tony’s face light up when a ukulele starts to play across the room.

“Oh! I haven’t heard this song since my MIT days,” the genius gushes, eyes closed with a blissful smile on his face as he hums along to the music. “Ah, I remember being absolutely drunk or high — probably both, to be honest.”

Natasha raises an eyebrow at that information. “What kind of party were you at to be listening to this music while pissed drunk?”

Tony opens his eyes to grin roguishly at the redhead. “Who says it was a party I was at?”

It takes a second for the implication to set in before everyone, bar Thor who’s busy opening a packet of strawberry-flavored pop tarts, groans at the engineer. Clint throws a dirty pair of chopsticks towards Tony while Steve crumples an unused napkin and throws it at his head.

Tony cackles as he gets up from his position on the carpeted floor, draining his fourth glass of scotch before he walks over to Bruce and starts to tug the other man to his feet.

“Tony, what’re you doing?” Bruce asks in between chuckles, one hand holding on to his drink while the other is clasped in Tony’s.

“C’mon, Brucie bear. Shake those hips with me!”

 _Your eyes like two full moons_  
_As here in this poor old dance hall_  
_Among the dreadful tunes_

Tipsy. That’s what Steve would describe Tony right this moment, the brunet swaying sensually to the soft music playing as he coaxes Bruce to do the same, who does so in a timid way that makes the others hoot in encouragement. Steve finds himself grinning at the display in front of him, and it’s an image he finds himself memorizing when he feels the itch in his fingers to draw, to immortalize this significant moment.

Thor’s still eating his pop tart, but there’s a huge smile on his face as he looks at the two dancing Science Bros. Natasha’s picking at the leftover egg rolls as she rolls her eyes at Clint filming the two with his upgraded StarkPhone, all the while goading Tony to dip Bruce.

It isn’t until the end of the song that Steve sees Tony grip Bruce’s hand and turns his body until his side is pressed flush against the physicist’s, the latter immediately catching on and he gamely dips Tony, much to the cheering and laughter of everyone.

When Bruce rights Tony, Steve meets the engineer’s eyes. Warmth blooms in Steve’s chest when he sees the happiness in Tony’s eyes. Sure, he’s a little tipsy at this point, but there’s no mistaking the relaxed limbs of the other man. Steve knows the hardships Tony’s going through these days — responsibilities at SI, the Avengers, his strained relationship with Pepper — and it’s humbling for the super soldier to know that Tony trusts _them_ enough to allow himself to relax and just _be_.

Truly, it was a perfect decision to skip Movie Night for this.

“Hey, J, play that Sam Cooke song next,” Steve hears Tony say next.

Without further ado, piano starts to play before a soulful voice starts to croon across the impressive speakers.

Steve hears a gasp, and he turns to look at Natasha, green eyes lighting up in recognition of the song. In two seconds flat she’s up in her feet with Tony and Bruce, the three starting to dance to the music again.

“I haven’t heard this in a while,” she says, sounding almost reverent. There’s a distant look in her eyes, and Steve exchanges a significant look with Clint, who’s still filming the whole thing. “This song was a wake-up call, Antoshka.”

Steve, who’s bobbing his head to the beat of the catchy song, sees Tony smile at Natasha, eyes soft as he takes her hand and twirls the Russian to his side, Natasha following the brunet’s lead without question.

“Yeah? How’s that?” Tony asks gently, but nobody misses the weight of that question.

Sure, Nat’s come a long way to letting her walls down around them, but they are all aware that there are still so many layers to the redheaded assassin that even Steve knows it’ll take a long time for them to completely _know_ who Natalia Romanova is.

 _Bring your sweet loving_  
_Bring it on home to me_

However, much to everyone’s surprise, Natasha leans her head against Tony’s shoulder. Their hips swaying in sync to the music, she quietly admits, “It reminded of my humanity. One I thought I lost while in the Red Room. That maybe there’s something worth salvaging in me, even after everything.”

Nobody says anything, even Steve is rendered speechless at the honesty of her answer.

After several moments, Tony hums and drops a kiss to the crown of Natasha’s head.

Something presses in Steve’s chest, and the tender expression on Tony’s face is one that stays with him for a long time.

* * *

A few years later, Steve hears those two songs again in separate occasions, and he finds himself reliving that night both times. 

The night something shifted in the team’s dynamics. The night Steve finally put a name to what he was feeling at the time.

A sense of belonging.

Of course, that was also the night Steve realized he harbored romantic feelings for a certain genius.

It only makes sense to add both songs to his growing playlist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing Matters When We're Dancing - The Magnetic Fields  
> Bring It Home To Me - Sam Cooke
> 
> To listen to the playlist, click the link below:
> 
> [05.29.74 Playlist ](https://open.spotify.com/user/koahj580jzu1icx7j4uk6mzyi/playlist/6anlZXa8KqZPXc10YOknUP?) (WIP)


	3. The One With The Dairy Dilemma

**Year: 2014**

“Steve, Steve-o, hello? You still with me, cupcake?”

Steve blinks and his focus returns to the present.

Specifically, at Tony who’s looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Er… sorry, what?” Steve stammers, feeling his cheeks flush with embarrassment.

Fortunately, Tony finds his inattentiveness amusing because he snorts and rolls his eyes good-naturedly.

“Can’t believe I’m gonna say this but I never pegged you to be the type of person to completely zone out,” starts Tony, and he’s smirking as he takes a sip of coffee from his perched position on the kitchen counter. “If I had known I’d lose your attention while talking about the Energy Crisis, you should’ve said so.”

Steve snorts at the obviously poor attempt to make fun of him, but nonetheless he smiles sheepishly at the brunet sitting opposite him.

“I’m sorry, Tony. I didn’t mean to zone out. I’m really interested to learn more, I just… got lost in my own head, I guess.”

Tony looks at him with something close to understanding, for the other man replies, “Hey, no. It’s fine, no need to apologize. I mean, I’m probably the last person who’s gonna admit this, but I can’t imagine what this must be like for you.”

Steve cocks his head to the side. “What do you mean?”

Tony gestures his hands as if to say ‘you know what I’m talking about’.

When Steve only responds with a confused expression, the genius sighs in what can only be considered a dramatic one before he expounds.

“Well, you know. Waking up seventy years in the future is daunting enough. What more is it like consuming so much information on a daily basis as a means to catch up with everything you’ve missed? I mean, it’s been about two years since you woke up, right? But even then, there’s only so much information you can consume _and_ retain. And regardless of the serum, you also have limitations. So. You know. I get that it can be overwhelming. Can’t imagine what it’s like for you, but yeah. I’m getting off track here so I’m just. Gonna. Stop.”

There’s an awkward silence after that. Tony’s staring at his mug with an intensity as if it holds the answers to life’s questions while Steve remains quiet as he gathers his thoughts.

After several beats, he breaks the silence by taking a long sip of his lukewarm coffee.

“You know,” he starts conversationally. He waits until Tony lifts his head to meet his gaze to continue speaking, “In the twenty-six months I’ve been awake in this century, you’re the first person to tell me those things. And it’s true. It can be overwhelming. Some days I feel like I’m going to lose my mind because there’s just _so much_ to read and learn and keep track of. But it’s okay. I have you and the team, and JARVIS. God knows I would’ve given up if it weren’t for you guys, so. Thank you, Tony.”

Tony stares at him incredulously. “But I didn’t even do anything.”

Steve barks out a laugh as he drains his mug. He levels the genius with a look, and he knows the sincerity he feels is projected in his face because Tony’s eyes soften.

“Yeah, you did. You gave me a home and supported me in adjusting to a century I don’t belong in. Sometimes, I feel that I don’t deserve—”

“Let me stop you there,” Tony cuts in emphatically. At Steve’s surprised blink, the engineer flushes slightly, but he resolutely adds, “I mean — it makes sense that you feel, or think, that you don’t. Because you weren’t even born in this era. God knows what _I_ would’ve done if I woke up in your time. No offense, but just the thought of the lack of plumbing is enough to give me the hives. I’m also pretty damn sure I would throw a tantrum in the first half hour at the lack of Internet. Anyway, my point is that it’s okay if that’s how you perceive it _now_. What you think — and feel — is valid. I mean, yeah, you still have a long way to go in terms of catching up, but that’s okay. Like you said, you’re still adjusting. But don’t think for one second that you don’t deserve to be here. Because you do. There’s a reason you survived that crash; there’s a reason why the serum worked and you were frozen for seventy years. Whatever those reasons are, it’s not for us to comprehend; we just gotta deal with the cards that we’re dealt with. Fact of the matter is: you belong here.”

“Tony,” Steve interrupts softly, heart pounding at the earnest look on Tony’s face. It takes every ounce of his control to not reach out to the genius and take his hand in his. _He’s with Pepper, he’s with Pepper,_ his mind chants repeatedly. And though it hurts him, Steve knows that he’s not _that_ type of person who gets between a couple. Hell no, he’ll gladly remain Tony’s friend than be the one to destroy his relationship with a remarkable and beautiful woman like Pepper Potts.

This is enough, Steve thinks, but he doesn’t believe it for one second. It should be.

Tony tilts his head and offers Steve a heartfelt smile that just about melts the super soldier’s insides. Doe eyes soft with understanding, Tony softly reiterates, “You belong here, Steve. In this time, in this century. You belong _here_ , now, with us. It’s okay if you don’t believe that now, but just know that me and the rest of the team believe that.”

“As do I, Captain,” JARVIS adds. “I am always at your service.”

Tony grins at the nearest camera. “That’s my boy.”

Too speechless to say anything else, all Steve can utter with sincerity is, “Thank you. Both of you.”

“You are welcome, Captain,” JARVIS replies kindly.

Much to Steve’s amusement, Tony, who’s probably only realized he’s said more than he’s meant to, fidgets in his seat and tries to wave it off. “Eh, it’s fine. Any good American citizen would’ve done the same.”

Steve shakes his head. “I may be Captain America, but people have their limits. I doubt that.”

Tony shrugs.“Fair enough. Then Fury and his minions would’ve done the same. It’s SHIELD who found you, after all.”

Again, Steve shakes his head and smiles lopsidedly at his friend. “Doubt it.” He gets up from his seat, taking the empty mugs with him to dump it in the sink before he opens the fridge to rummage through the contents to prepare a late lunch. “Anyway, what do you feel like having for lunch?”

“You sound confident,” Tony remarks through narrowed eyes, ignoring his question.

“Fury isn’t exactly known for his patience,” Steve says with a smirk. He takes out a loaf of bread and two kinds of cheese before closing the fridge with a gentle nudge of his hip. “SHIELD may have the resources, but even Fury wouldn’t be willing to assign an agent or two to specifically bring me up to date on everything I missed. Grilled cheese sandwich okay with you?”

Tony’s silent as he contemplates his words. Without waiting for an answer, Steve starts preparing their food.

“Point taken,” Tony eventually says with a nod. “Also — lunch? Isn’t it only ten?”

“It’s two-thirty in the afternoon, sir,” JARVIS helpfully provides.

“Well damn, time does fly fast when you’re discussing history,” Tony quips.

“I don’t think that’s how the saying goes, Tony,” Steve states with a look over his shoulder at the other man.

Tony shrugs and gets up from the stool to approach Steve. He looks over his shoulder as Steve cuts up the cheese. Steve gulps and does his best not to lean back into Tony.

“Anything I can do to help, then?”

“Yeah, would you mind setting up the table? This won’t take long.”

“Sure, no problem-o.” Steve quietly sighs in relief when he feels Tony move away, however he can’t help but instantly miss the close proximity with the other man.

As Steve fries up the pan and Tony goes to take out plates and cutlery, the super soldier can’t help the rush of affection that spreads through his chest because _this_ is so damn domestic. Sure, he’s been living Tony and the rest of the team for a long time now. They’ve already established a routine at this point, no matter how sporadic that is. But it’s times like today that Steve is reminded on how absolutely fortunate he is to have this life. This team.

“Hey, J, where are the others?” Tony asks after a brief silence.

“Agent Barton and Agent Romanoff are still at SHIELD, Mr. Odinson has not yet returned from his trip in New Mexico, and Doctor Banner wishes to not be disturbed as he is in the middle of a time-sensitive experiment,” JARVIS answers promptly.

“Huh, okay,” Tony replies. Steve inwardly cheers at the news, knowing that he’ll get to spend more time with the genius. “In that case, shuffle play on the current playlist, J.”

Right away, some pop music starts to play over the speakers. Steve, who’s been listening to all kinds of music ever since he’s bought his own iPod ( _“An iPod? Seriously? In my own house? I could’ve built you something better than that piece of crap!”_ ), takes him a few seconds to recognize the song.

“Hmm catchy,” he hears Tony remark before he starts humming along to the song.

Flipping the bread over the pan, Steve looks over his shoulder and almost had a heart attack when he’s greeted with the sight of Tony, the engineer’s back turned to him, swaying his hips to the tune as he finishes setting the table. Eyes immediately zeroing in on Tony’s plump ass — and it’s such a _gorgeous_ ass, _God_ — Steve swallows inaudibly at the sight before him.

Fortunately, he had enough presence of mind to quickly realize he was about to burn their food.

_“It's easy being with you_  
_Sacred simplicity_  
_As long as we're together_  
_There's no place I'd rather be”_

After placing a second batch of grilled cheese sandwich on the pan, Steve feels Tony approach as the latter opens the fridge to take out a jug of milk. At Steve’s raised eyebrow, Tony grins boyishly at him.

“You’ve never had cold milk with grilled cheese sandwich?” He asks.

Steve’s lips twitch as he says, “That’s too much dairy, though, don’t you think?”

Tony shrugs. “Good thing we have good plumbing, then.”

They share a look before they erupt into fits of laughter.

 _Yeah,_ Steve thinks as he watches Tony wipe tears of mirth from his dazzling doe eyes, _no place I’d rather be, alright._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rather Be - Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne
> 
> To listen to the playlist, click the link below:
> 
> [05.29.74 Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/koahj580jzu1icx7j4uk6mzyi/playlist/6anlZXa8KqZPXc10YOknUP?) (WIP)


	4. The One Where They Go to a Karaoke Bar for the First Time

**Year: 2013**

Steve doesn’t remember how he and his teammates ended up in a karaoke bar at ten o’clock on a chilly October night, but the super soldier thinks that it has to do with the stressful week they had in tracking down one of the HYDRA bases SHIELD discovered. With another successful raid under their belt, Steve knows they more than deserve this night off.

Still, he can’t bring himself to remember how they managed to end up where they are: a private karaoke room complete with a table filled with snacks and finger foods next to the open bar, which everyone minus Steve immediately took advantage of.

Thor is in the middle of singing a horrible rendition of “We Are The Champions” when Steve feels a solid body bump into his shoulder. The blond is broken from his internal musing when his attention focuses on Bruce’s slightly swaying form. Based from his glassy eyes and slackened expression, Steve surmises the scientist has had too much to drink.

“You okay, Bruce?” Steve asks politely. He remembers the drink in his hand, some weird concoction that Tony carelessly thrust towards him, and takes a sip of the cool drink, careful to hide the wince at the fruity taste combined with the alcohol.

Bruce giggles as he plops gracelessly next to Steve and says, “All good, Steve. Just, _ugh_ , I think I made a mistake taking those tequila shots with Clint. I lost count after six.”

“You know better than to take Clint up on that,” Steve chastises gently, although he can’t help but smile in amusement at the obvious regret in Bruce’s movements. “He can drink any of us under the table.”

The bespectacled man rolls his eyes. “Don’t let Nat hear you say that.”

Steve smirks and he concedes with a nod. “Well, except Nat, obviously.”

They sit in silence for a few minutes, Steve sipping his fruity drink every now and then while Bruce hums tonelessly to Thor’s song choice. Across the room, Clint and Tony are in the middle of taking tequila shots while Natasha is standing beside the karaoke machine, punching in the number for her song choice with a laser-eyed focus which speaks highly of her current inebriated state.

Eventually, Bruce breaks the silence, his sober tone a complete contrast to his loose posture.

“We did well today.”

Steve drains his glass before he nods in agreement. “Damn right we did. It’s been a hell of a week.”

Bruce hums, a small smirk gracing his features. “I’d say ‘I’ll drink to that’, but I’m afraid if I take even a small sip of alcohol now I’ll pass out.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this before, Bruce,” Steve comments after his laughter dies down. He sees Thor pass the microphone to Natasha, just as the notes to a Cranberries song starts to play.

“Well, I was a lot worse when I didn’t have the Other Guy,” Bruce admits with a shrug. “Sometimes, I wonder if I didn’t get hit by that radiation I would eventually die due to liver failure. But lo and behold.”

Before Steve can think of a response, a voice interrupts them. “Lo and behold what?”

Steve looks up to see Tony walking towards them before dropping inelegantly on Steve’s other side. Steve allows himself a few seconds to relish in the warm physical contact of Tony pressed up against him from shoulder to knee before he reigns in his emotions. He doesn’t think he succeeds, though, if Bruce’s sympathetic expression is anything to go by.

“Lo and behold you’re an idiot if you think you can beat Clint in his own game,” Bruce says, deadpan. “Believe me, I tried.”

“Who says I was trying to beat Clint?” Tony says with a lopsided grin, his whiskey-colored eyes bright with undisguised affection.

At who, Steve doesn’t know, and he doesn’t want to linger too much on that thought, either.

Instead, Steve raises an eyebrow at Tony. “So you’re saying you took twelve shots of tequila for shits and giggles?”

Bruce snorts while Tony laughs, the latter swatting a hand on Steve’s bicep as he leans against the super soldier in mirth.

Steve thinks what he said wasn’t funny at all, but considering that they’ve been drinking for at least five hours now, and taking into account the fact that a drunk Tony is a happy Tony, it stands to reason that anything anyone could say at this point would be greeted with laughter by the genius.

As team leader, Steve should be more responsible; but going back to what he said earlier, they had a well of a week tracking down and destroying a HYDRA base. It's the eighth base they've successfully taken down, so this was a well-earned celebration. And damn it, they deserved this.

“Eloquently said, Dorito,” Steve hears Tony mumble against his bicep, the latter still chuckling.

Across the room, Steve sees Nat surrender the microphone to Clint, whose animated expression does little to hide his drunken state.

“Yo assholes, this one’s for you,” Clint says into the mic just as the notes of a familiar song start to play.

Steve and Thor laugh out loud when Bruce, Tony, and Nat simultaneously raise their middle fingers to Clint, the archer blowing each of them a kiss before he starts to sing in a surprisingly good voice.

“Okay, was I the only one who didn’t know that Barton can carry a tune?” Tony asks in shock, and sounding sober for the first time all night.

Steve and Bruce shake their heads while Nat smirks at them and playfully quips, “Guess you haven’t dug deep enough in SHIELD’s servers to see that video of Clint serenading Fury.”

Steve chokes on his saliva while Tony guffaws at that bit of information. "Remind me when I'm sober to have JARVIS search for that."

“Fuck you, guys,” Clint declares. The transition between that deadpan declaration and then belting out the lyrics to one of Journey’s greatest hits has a snowball effect on everyone as they start another round of laughter.

_“Working hard to get my fill_  
_Everybody wants a thrill_  
_Payin' anything to roll the dice_  
_Just one more time_  
_Some will win, some will lose_  
_Some were born to sing the blues”_

“Strangers waiting!” Bruce shouts, making Steve flinch in surprise.

“Up and down the boulevard!” Natasha joins in before swinging a bottle of vodka to her lips and chugging down a third of the contents down her throat.

Thor and Tony eventually join in, the Asgardian more likely reading the lyrics on the TV screen rather than singing it.

“Don’t stop believing, hold on to that feeling!” Clint belts out exuberantly into the microphone as he dances on the small stage with abandon, his tenor voice drowning out the others’ as they sang along.

Steve feels his chest swell with affection for his friends, and he blames his sentimentality in that moment that he doesn’t notice when Tony managed to wrap his arm around Steve’s, his right hand burning an invisible mark on Steve’s forearm as his head nestles comfortably on the super soldier’s broad shoulder.

Steve tries not to voice his concern, but based on experience he knows that this version of Tony being tactile, especially when drunk, means that the engineer is troubled.

“Are you alright?” Steve asks quietly.

Tony hums. “Just peachy, Cap.”

Steve lightly nudges him, and he waits until Tony lifts his head to meet his eyes before he says, “You know you can talk to me, right? About anything.”

There’s a touch of sadness in Tony’s smile when he replies, “I know, Steve.”

“You know you can count on me, right?”

This time, there’s something tender in Tony’s voice when he says, “I know.”

Steve smiles at him and nods, and he can’t help but think that Tony’s reply sounded more like ‘thank you’.

When Tony’s head is nestled comfortably once more on Steve’s shoulder, the super soldier selfishly allows himself this moment and rests his head on top of Tony’s, nose brushing lightly against the dark brown locks.

Tomorrow’s troubles can wait, he decides resolutely. For tonight, they have each other to comfort and to share in the victory of another job well done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't Stop Believing - Journey
> 
> To listen to the playlist, click the link below:
> 
> [05.29.74 Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6anlZXa8KqZPXc10YOknUP?) (WIP)

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think! Reviews are motivation (and love)!


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